Sorry for the long wait - again - I honestly hadn't meant for that to happen! I rewrote this three times and still hadn't felt like I'd gotten it right...oh well. I've decided to leave it with this. :D

Disclaimer: ...No.

The following morning was a blur, not exactly too memorable. Breakfast was quiet, and the time between then and lunch was even quieter. Maybe it was because it was a weekend. Maybe it was because it was a pretty uneventful weekend.

By lunch, Tony was seated at the table across from his closest friend, his brother. Having known the boy across from himself for so long made it either that much harder to tell him, or that much harder not to tell him.

"You look awful." Commented Rhodey, forking some food into his mouth.

Tony looked up from where he was staring at; his food. "Why, thank you. That's so kind of you."

"He's telling the truth Tony." Roberta said taking a seat next to her son. "You're looking awfully pale this morning."

Back to staring at his food. "Yeah, I was up late."

It was late enough when he had returned home from dropping Pepper off at home. Even later when he finally finished his conversation with Jarvis. By the time he got over what he was told, and had finally calmed his quickened heartbeat, it was close to three o'clock in the morning. Tired and with a full on headache, he stumbled his way back to the house, Finally getting home and situated in his bed somewhere just before the clock hit four.

And to be woken up so early in the morning because Roberta made French toast…

"You should have slept in." Roberta said, giving him a worried look that he could feel.

"I was hungry." Was Tony's only reply as he forked food into his mouth.

Except for what Pepper had made for him the previous morning and a half of a sandwich, Tony didn't exactly eat anything. So it wasn't a lie when he said he was hungry.

He'd been lying in his bed, fighting to just go back to bed, when he smelt her cooking something. And whatever it was, it smelt really good. Not too long later Rhodey came in excitedly telling him that his mom made French toast. At first he'd told himself that he wasn't that hungry, and sleep was more important, but his growling stomach disagreed with him. He was hungry.

"Then get some rest after you eat." Roberta offered. "I know you came home late."

Tony bit his lip. He assumed she knew. Especially from all the looks she's been giving him all since he walked in the room. That knowing look in her eyes that told him "I know what you did" and truth be told, she did. He just nodded his head, accepting that he needed his rest.

"Oh, Tony did I tell you that I'm going to apply for that job today?" Rhodey said to change the subject.

The blue-eyed teen looked to his friend. "No, so you're actually going to try for this one?"

Rhodey's head shook in a proud gesture. "Yep. If they like me and give me the job, I'll be starting within two weeks!"

Of the few part-time jobs Rhodey has had, he seemed the most enthusiastic for this one. Maybe it was because it wasn't being a cashier like he's been twice now already, or maybe it was just because it was something he could actually do something opposed to just standing around the entire time he worked.

Though the mention of two weeks brought a pang to Tony's heart. His heart which suffered enough through heart surgery and the implant, and now the guilt and pain that was beginning to build up on it. The words still rang in his head as if he was just told them two seconds ago.

15 days.

Did that mean that starting today, he only had 14 days to live? That instead of the fifteen he had yesterday, he had only 14 days now?

He could imagine Jarvis telling him again, only this time it was, "14 days, sir" instead of the original 15 days. He could imagine the number getting smaller and smaller until the day his AI named Jarvis finally spoke those words. Those two words that meant more than, or less than two words.

"One day, sir."

It rang through his head like the chimes of a bell. Like the broken radio at the old run-down thrift store that was stuck on repeat, but was never turned off because the owner liked the "relaxing" noise it made.

"Tony?"

It was the sound of someone repetitively ringing the doorbell. The piddle-paddle sound the rain made when it slapped across the pavement. Or maybe even the faucet dripping water every few seconds, never ending.

"I think you need to go back to sleep."

Finally blinking and looking to Roberta who had her hand on his shoulder in that motherly way. She must have noticed that he's zoned out and got from her seat to make sure he was alright when he didn't respond. Rhodey looked like he was just about to do the same thing, but his mother had beat him to it. He wondered if he really zoned out that long.

He found himself agreeing with her with the motion of his head as he stood up, the two words still ringing in his head. As untrue as they were for the time being, they still managed to throw him off. Fooling him to think that it was that time, it was that day. There was one day. But in truth, there were still 14 days. A good two weeks.

He nodded again. "That's a good idea."

He found himself heading back to the bed where he'd slept in for hardly any time last night. Roberta worriedly walked him back to his room, feeling uneasy about leaving him alone until he was under the covers of his bed. When he was all good, he gave her the best smile he could give her and a thumbs up, telling her that he was fine.

He went to bed to the sound of a distant, soft knock at the front door.

xXx

"You're dozing off again."

Tony looked over at the person beside him. Rhodey. "Sorry."

"Yeah, you've been dozing off an awful lot today." His girlfriend said at his other side. "Something on your mind?"

13 days.

"You can say that…" Tony replied. "Don't worry about it, I'm working on it."

The redhead at his side, placed her hand over where his was placed. "I'm sure you are."

It was a pleasant, yet unpleasant feeling. Her simple action of laying her hand on his, shouldn't have been an issue. In fact, it had always gave him comfort and cleared whatever it was that was on his mind. Though, at that moment he could hardly stand not to feel her hand on his and not feel the guilt weighing heavier and heavier upon his heart.

It's already been three days since Jarvis had told him those two words…and he was yet to get over it.

"Tony, you coming?" Pepper asked, waving her free hand in his face. "The bell rang."

He gave her a small smile, much like the one he gave her the night before…

xXx

His eyes opened up like two fingers stuck together like glue trying their hardest to peel apart. He was still so tired, yet he couldn't get himself to go back to sleep. The first think he noticed was the blurry blotch of pink that sat on the bed he laid on. Soon, the blurriness of sleep went away and revealed Pepper who was reading a book. She didn't look like she was even focusing on the book at all, but on him instead.

He yawned as he stretched.

All while she smiled over at him, "Good morning to you, sleepy head."

He blinked. "Good morning…?"

She sighed. "I guess you're right, I good morning is the wrong words…how about, good evening?"

"Evening?" Shocked and surprised, he sat up looking at the time. It was in fact nearing to four o'clock at night.

"Good thing there was no school today, the teachers would not be happy with you."

He shook his head. "Yeah…"

Understanding that he was still just waking up and his mind was still in that sleep fog, she waited to say anything else. Instead she put her book away as she waited for him to stretch out some more.

"When did you get here?" Tony finally asked, sitting cross-legged across from her.

"This morning sometime around 9 or 10 I think." Pepper replied. "Came to check on you, you were pretty pale last night. You still are."

"You've been here all day?"

"Of course I did." Pepper said, as if the idea of not staying was impossible. "You seem to be pushing your limits lately."

"How? I haven't even gone into the suit."

"You seem to be spending an excessive amount of time in the lab to make up for that." Pepper reminded him.

Tony didn't respond to that. He only straightened his legs out to stand up and walk to his computer chair. They talked for some while as he rolled back and forth on the computer chair, and trying his hardest to keep focused on Pepper and not what was running through his mind.

At some point Tony went to get something to eat since he hardly ate anything at dinner and had slept way past lunch. Pepper joined him, and just kept him company until it was time for her to go.

"I hope you feel better, Tony." Pepper said, giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.

His eyes widened. "How-?"

"I'm not blind, Tony." Pepper told him. "But I'm deciding to trust you with this for now. You just do whatever it is for you to feel better."

She gave him a light smile that he hesitantly returned. As the door closed behind her, he couldn't help but wonder if the words she just told him was an added weight, or a weight lifted.

xXx

"I'm coming don't worry." Tony said taking her offered hand as they headed off for class.

She trusted him. She knew he was hiding something and she knew it couldn't have been good and she trusted him. Even though he could even see that she didn't want to be left out of it. He could see perfectly fine that she was fighting herself into trusting him. She wanted to know so badly, he could see it in her eyes.

But she still found it in herself to trust him, when he couldn't even bring himself to speak up to those nearest to him.

And he hated it…

A bit depressing if you think about it...But hopefully still a good chapter! :) I always love to hear all of your guys' opinion!

Fun Fact: The worst part of loving to read, is not being able to read when you want to...

I've some how decided to torture myself with joining the Speech team at my school...even after today's presentation in science when I totally choked up and was visibly shaking. And I JOINED THE SPEECH TEAM!? Where we compete in front of different schools? I've just sentenced my own doom...and major embarrassment.

Oh, well that's not important. What's important is that I've got another update lined up for you guys, but I'm not posting it until sometime this weekend. Then I'm jumping for joy for Finals are next week! :D ...NOT EXCITING! D:

Hugs and Love, SilverPedals!

P.S. Really, what did you think about the chapter!?